On our final morning we were up early, had a quick oatmeal breakfast, packed up and were on our way hoping that the early start would help us avoid fighting the wind.

As we crossed Disappointment, the breeze was not bad with only a slight chop. It had picked up a bit by the time we got to the portages at the southwest end of the lake. Therefore, to avoid Snowbank's notorious waves and so we could see some new scenery, we chose to head out through Parent Lake. This would also break up the long portage into two shorter carries. When we got to Parent, the size of the waves convinced us that we had made a wise decision. These waves were not too bad but we imagined that out on Snowbank they might be rather difficult.

On our final portage we had the privilege of meeting and exchanging pleasantries with this delightful couple who were out on their first day of a one-week trip. They had traveled all the way from New Zealand just to experience Minnesota's BWCA! They were quite excited for the adventure that lay ahead of them and were eager for advice regarding the area from which we had just come and for which they were headed. We gladly shared what information we could and wished them well.

The waves on Snowbank turned out to be no challenge after all and we had a pleasant paddle to the public landing, pulling in at about noon. After loading up we headed back to Ely for a much anticipated shower. On the way into town I remember thinking about how good the seats of a vehicle always feel after a canoe trip. After getting cleaned up our final stop in Ely was for a delicious meal at the Ely Steakhouse before hitting the road and arriving home again in St. Cloud that evening, eager to do it all again next year.